


Brother's Keeper

by azriona



Series: Advent Calendar Drabbles 2014 [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Advent Calendar Drabble, Gen, Protective Siblings, Sibling Love, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 17:25:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2701181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azriona/pseuds/azriona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This is your little brother.  It’s your job to watch out for him.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brother's Keeper

**Author's Note:**

> The first of the Advent Calendar Drabbles for 2014. I am lazy, so I title my drabbles with the prompt. Today’s 221b was prompted by marta-bee, who also requested Mystrade. I ignored her request. I hope she doesn’t mind.

My baby brother was always a squalling, scrawny infant. He’s not much different as an adult. 

Two stones lost in two years away from London, dark circles under his eyes. It’s not the nightmares that keep him from eating, but who can tell? He couldn’t tell us about his nightmares when he was a baby. It’s unlikely he’d bother to explain what keeps him up at night now.

“This is your little brother,” said my parents. “It’s your job to watch out for him.”

“Stay as long as you like,” I say, and pour him a drink. After what he’s seen – he probably needs it.

My baby brother nearly squirmed his way straight to the floor. My adult brother wants to walk London’s streets until he’s lost, soak its air into his skin. Convince himself that… what? We were all right without him? Or that he can still fit into the hole he left behind?

He peed on my lap, straight through the nappy. That was his opinion of my protection. 

He’s full of blindness, my brother – blind optimism, blind determination, blind ignorance. But that’s just him. Smartest kid I knew, grown into the most stubborn.

He leaves the drink behind. Shame to waste the whisky, so I drink it for him. That’s the kind of good sister I’ve always been.


End file.
